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ARUNA QUADRI RECORDS THIRD LEAGUE VICTORY WITH TTC IN BUNDESLIGA

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Aruna Quadri  has returned to winning ways with TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell (TTC) in the Table Tennis Bundesliga as the Nigerian was instrumental to his team’s 3-1 win over TTC OE Bad Homburg at the weekend.

Aruna who featured in two of the ITTF Restart Tournaments in China last week was in fine form in TTC’s third home win as the team climbed to ninth position in the 12-team league in Germany.

With the match played behind closed doors, it was German international Ruwen Filus who started the day for TTC against Lev Katsman that after taking a 2-0 Filus fell behind to allow the visitor to draw 2-2.

But Filus played on his experience, to get a decisive set 11: 6 and brought TTC in front with a 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6) win.


Fan Bo Meng failed to extend the lead in the duel against Rares Sipos and despite three tight sets, Meng was clearly defeated 0: 3 (9-11, 10-12, 7-11) on points, although Meng could have scored the points for himself in the first two sets. 

The Romanian in the service of Bad Homburg, however, retained the upper hand.

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However, the most unequal duel of the day was between Aruna and Maksim Grebnev. 

Aruna had his problems especially in the first and last set, which is why Grebnev was leading by three points in some cases. Especially in the fast rallies, however, Aruna showed his quality, which is why the Nigerian was finally able to win the tight duel 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11- 9).and bring the TTC back into the lead. 

And in the fourth match involving Filus and Sipos, the experienced German proved to be the one with the stronger nerves. 

Filus started furiously with a 6: 0, ultimately decided the set with 11: 5 to win the duel with 3: 2 (12-14, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5) to hand TTC a 3-1 win.

“We knew it was a very, very important game for us. For me it was two fighting games. Mentally I had to throw everything into it and show a fighting spirit. I think I succeeded and that was the success,” said TTC’s match winner Filus after the game.

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An excited Aruna described the win as crucial as the team is hoping to win their home matches especially without their fans present.

 “I am happy we returned with a win after over four weeks that I left the team due to the ITTF Restart tournament in China. I am really looking forward to our next home match,” the Nigerian said.

The next game for the TTC is on Friday against TTC drawbridge Grenzau. 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Fifty states, clubs listed for the 2025 National Table Tennis Championships in Osun

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Otan Ayegbaju, a historic town in Southwestern Nigeria, will host 50 teams from states and clubs across the country for the 5th edition of the Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial National Table Tennis Championships in Osun State.

The tournament, sponsored by the Michael and Felicia Alabi Foundation and organised by the Osun State Table Tennis Association under the auspices of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), will take place at Idera Multi-Purpose Hall in Otan Ayegbaju from April 27 to May 3, 2025.

Participating teams will come from various states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Taraba, Nasarawa, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara, and the host state, Osun. Expected clubs include Aruna Sports Club, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigeria Police Force.

With over ₦11.5 million at stake, the one-week tournament will take place at the newly built Michael and Felicia Alabi Memorial Table Tennis Hall.

Ayodeji Alabi, chairman of the Osun State Table Tennis Association, stated that the tournament aims to complement the federation’s efforts to discover new talent and empower youth across the country.

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To enhance this year’s edition, the tournament promises a blend of sports and entertainment, with several artists scheduled to perform daily.

Alabi, a member of the ITTF Africa Committee, assured that all participants would be accommodated and fed throughout the event to motivate them to perform their best.

“Whoever comes to this tournament will take home a lot of happiness because we have an entertainment lounge featuring many artists. After the games, there will be comedy shows, music performances, and well-known disc jockeys. We are creating a diverse entertainment portfolio for everyone attending,” Alabi said.

Additionally, para and deaf events will be part of this year’s edition, with athletes competing in various categories including men’s singles, women’s singles, U-15 boys’ and girls’ singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, veteran singles, para men’s singles open, para women’s singles open, deaf men’s singles, deaf women’s singles, and local singles.

“This year, we expect about 400 to 450 participants, and we will house and feed them free of charge. This year’s tournament is different because we have created an environment where participants will sleep and eat well,” Alabi added.

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Cameroonian refugee to represent Nigeria at World Table Tennis Day 2025

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Solange Ngonda Tibesa, an Ogoja-based Cameroonian refugee, will be representing Nigeria at the fifth edition of the World Table Tennis Day 2025 event.

The WTTD 2025 is an event that is supported by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to promote the development of the game of table tennis at the grassroots level all over the world.

According to the ITTF, “Thirty promoters were selected for World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) 2025.

“Representing 27 countries and territories across all five continents. These passionate individuals will play a pivotal role in uniting communities and sharing the joy of table tennis on 23rd April 2025.”

A record 160 persons applied to be considered as WTTD 2025 promoters, out of which Solange and 29 other applicants from 27 countries and five continents applied to be considered.

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Furthermore, the ITTF stated that they will provide Solange and the other promoters with financial assistance, capacity-building resources, and personalised guidance to align their initiatives with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the theme of diversity and inclusion.

Solange, who is currently a full-time staff member of Save the Children, is also a trained netball coach who supervises the compulsory twice-a-week training of the more than thirty netballers who are based at the Adagom 3 refugee camp.

During a telephone interview with our reporter, Solange stated that on 23rd April 2025, she and the Ogoja refugees table tennis organising committee hope to hold the event in the Adagom 1, Adagom 3 and Ukende camps.

 Over one thousand persons are expected to attend this event in the three separate refugee camps. The event will be spiced up with a table tennis challenge, live music, health and well-being talks, and some light refreshments for the spectators.

Furthermore, Solange stated: “As an experienced community worker, I know the important role sports can play in bringing people together and giving them the opportunities to compete with each other under set rules, in a respectful manner. I am also aware that sports could be used to empower and provide psychosocial support to vulnerable persons, including the physically challenged.

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“We hope to use the game of table tennis to reach out to my fellow Cameroonians and members of our host community in Ogoja.”

Finally, Solange commended the CSED (Community Sports and Educational Development) Initiative for bringing the WTTD 2025 grant advertisement to her attention and encouraging her to apply for WTTD 2025.

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ITTF Africa to Continue Supporting Coaches, Assures Oshodi

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Wahid Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), has reaffirmed the continental body’s commitment to supporting coaches in their quest to match their foreign counterparts.

Speaking as a guest at the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF)-organized National Hopes Week, Oshodi emphasized the importance of coaches growing alongside their players through regular training and courses to enhance their knowledge of the sport.

Following the recent Level 2 Coaching Course held in Tunisia, Oshodi assured that more training opportunities would be provided for those shaping future stars in Africa. “First of all, you need a pathway. Coaches who participated in last year’s ITTF training camp, which included the Level 1 Coaching Course, are part of this pathway.

“We want to see what the coaches are doing and bring the players they’ve been working with. For me, the main criterion is age. We need these kids playing U-9 and U-10 to develop into top players early.

“The best players in the world now are U-21, so we can’t do things differently. From what we’ve seen so far, Nigeria is on the right path.”

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Oshodi added, “With NTTF National Hopes Week, we hope to see more talents emerge quickly. We have 30-40 children from all over Nigeria taking part, and the talent pool is much larger than that.

“Our coaches are improving, and we’re working on getting new courses for them so they can transfer their knowledge to the children. We’re pleased with the progress, and the results are starting to show.”

Tunji Lawal, Chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, also praised the initiative.

 “These are the future generations of Nigeria, and it’s great to see them in action.

“This shows we have potential in Nigeria, and future stars like Aruna Quadri are emerging. We’re glad to have this kind of initiative for the development of the game in Nigeria. I believe success comes from failure, so even if Lagos isn’t in the finals, it means we have more work to do to bring our players up to the required standard. We will continue to try and do our best,” Lawal said.

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